Network interface devices provide limited access by a subscriber or customer for testing by the subscriber of the subscriber premises wiring, at a telephone junction box where the subscriber premises wiring is connected to the telephone company distribution cable. Such junction boxes are also fully accessible to service personnel of the telephone company after installation. One such network interface device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,979,209 for a plurality of subscribers, wherein an enclosure includes a primary lid extending over the entire enclosure and securable by service personnel, and a secondary lid over the subscriber-accessible portion of the enclosure securable by the subscribers; such enclosures commonly provide access to the subscriber-accessible portion by service personnel but the subscriber-accessible portion remains secured against unauthorized persons. Individual modules within the subscriber-accessible portion are disclosed to include individual security covers such that each subscriber module is secured against access by the other subscribers.
The individual subscriber module includes a test port or jack electrically connected to both the premises wiring and the subscriber-dedicated wiring of the telephone company's distribution cable, enabling the subscriber to remove the port cover and insert the plug of a telephone or other test device to discover the location of a fault disrupting the subscriber's service. Successful connection of the telephone or test device indicates that the fault lies in the premises wiring and thus is the responsibility of the subscriber, whereas an unsuccessful connection of the telephone or test device indicates that the fault lies in the wiring of the telephone company. The performance of such testing by the subscriber enables the subscriber to first determine the location of the fault prior to arranging with the telephone company for a service call, thus saving subscriber the expense of a telephone company service call when the fault lies in the premises wiring.
Prior art test ports have been of the type including a conventional telephone plug connector having an array of two or four contacts matable with contacts in the jack, with the plug's contacts affixed to conductor wires extending from the plug and connected to the premises wiring. Deterioration of the conductor wires extending from the plug has frequently occurred from removal and replacement of the plug from and into the jack, or from exposure of the conductors to inadvertent damage by tools during installation or servicing or testing or otherwise. Occasionally problems of exposure of the contacts in the jack to moisture have also occurred, necessitating service and repair to the subscriber module.
It is desired to provide a subscriber module that eliminates the susceptibility of conductor wires to damage, and the corrosion of contact surfaces in the jack by moisture.